The present invention relates to under-cabinet lighting fixtures. More particularly, the present invention relates to permanently mounted under-cabinet lighting fixtures.
Lights and lighting not only provide useful general illumination of interior and exterior spaces in homes and buildings, but also provide ornamental and artistic treatments for decorative purposes. These purposes include lighting functions as well as highlights for artwork, for accent and interior ornamental design functions, and other functions. Often furniture or cabinetry have lights for illuminating articles held within the furniture or cabinets. For cabinets, and in particular kitchen wall cabinets, lighting fixtures are often mounted to a lower exterior surface or recessed therein, for providing lighting to countertop surfaces below the cabinets. In a xe2x80x9crecessxe2x80x9d application, a cavity within a shelf receives the light fixture. The lighting fixture thereby has a reduced profile outwardly of the mounting surface.
One type of lighting fixture useful for under-cabinet applications is known as under-cabinet puck lights. These lights are generally cylindrical disc-shaped housings. The housings contain a reflector, a lamp socket with a light emitive bulb, and a glass lens for transmitting light from the housing to the countertop surface below the cabinet. The socket connects to a supply of electrical current. The lights provide several pools of lights to the countertop surface, and are used typically in kitchens and display cabinetry for providing light on the working surfaces in kitchens as well as for use in highlighting articles in display cabinets.
Under-cabinet puck lights originated in the European lighting market a number of years ago by primarily German and Italian manufacturers. These under-cabinet puck lights included transformers to provide 12 volt direct current for illuminating the light bulbs. The transformer connects to line voltage, which in Europe is 220 volt alternating current, to provide the electrical current for operating the lights at the stepped-down voltage. Generally, a plurality of the under-cabinet puck lights connect by electrical wires to the transformer. These lighting systems were known as low voltage systems, due to operation with the stepped-down direct current of 12 volts from the transformer.
While the under-cabinet puck lights provide light to work areas, the brightness of the illuminative effect has not been entirely satisfactory. In response, Lusa Lighting of Los Angeles, Calif., developed low-voltage puck lighting systems using halogen bulbs. Halogen bulbs provide a significantly higher light output per watt as compared to conventional incandescent bulbs. Low voltage under-cabinet halogen light systems use the low voltage transformers and wiring components discussed above. These systems have a maximum of approximately 20 watts per lighting fixture installed in surface mount or recessed mount applications. More recently, Lusa Lighting also developed a high voltage (line voltage) puck lighting system. This system includes lights that uses alternating current, line 120 voltage.
Generally, these low- and high-voltage puck-type lighting systems are provided commercially as after-market installation devices. The low voltage direct current lighting systems are readily installed by connecting the transformer directly to the line current and then using low-voltage wiring to connect the lights to the transformer. These connections and wiring do not require special electrical junction boxes or special conduit, and the wiring may be exposed, although preferably the wiring is placed at side edges of the shelf or other support surface to which the lighting fixture was attached. The low voltage lights generate little heat during operation, and are appropriate for use mounted to wooden surfaces under kitchen cabinetry or recessed into shelf portions of cabinets. On the other hand, the high voltage system provided satisfactory communication of the heat from the puck lights to the ambient atmosphere, while overcoming the limitations of the low voltage systems including radio frequency interference with the transformers, total light wattage limited to the capacity of the transformer, and reduced light output due to line losses for increased distances between the light and the transformer.
While the puck-type under-cabinet lighting fixtures have been satisfactory in after-market installations, there are drawbacks to the use of these lighting fixtures for permanent installation by the cabinet manufacturer prior to selling the cabinet and included light in the marketplace. These drawbacks include the need for appropriate junction boxes for electrical connections of the wiring, for conduit through which the electrical wires pass between the source of the current and the light, and for satisfactory access to control switches for activating the lights for use.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved under-cabinet lighting fixture for permanent surface and recessed mounting. It is to such that the present invention is directed.
The present invention provides a under-cabinet lighting fixture for permanent surface and recessed mounting, with a housing adapted to receive a light bulb for mounting to a cabinet surface and a junction box adapted for receiving electrical wires for connecting the light in the housing to a supply of electrical current. A stem, for being disposed within a hole in the cabinet surface, connects the housing and the junction box, while the stem defines a passageway for electrical wires from the junction box to the light in the housing.
In a preferred embodiment, the stem defines a keyed distal end that matingly engages a socket in the housing of the light fixture and an opposing distal end defines a thread for receiving a nut to secure the lighting fixture to the junction box.
Objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be come apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims.